Œuvres complètes de Guy de Maupassant - volume 16

The story opens with Médéric Rompel, a retired soldier turned postman, marching through the quiet countryside of Carvelin. As he follows the river Brindille, delivering letters, the landscape is painted in vivid detail—willowy trees, murmuring water, and a moss‑laden forest that seems to hold its own secrets. Médéric’s routine is shattered when he stumbles upon the naked body of a young girl lying on the forest floor, a small pool of blood staining her thigh.

Médéric’s trained eyes notice the odd collection of discarded objects—a child’s knife, a thimble, a needle case—hinting at a story hidden in the underbrush. The narrator immerses the listener in the uneasy silence of the woods, letting every rustle and distant bird call amplify the growing sense of dread. As the postman hesitates, torn between his duty and curiosity, the stage is set for a tense investigation that will probe the dark heart of this seemingly tranquil village.